Fastener



F. scHAFER March 24, 1936.

FASTENER Filed Jan. 9,- 1935 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Application January 9, 1935, Serial No.1,018 In switzer'lanaJanuary '16, 1934 7 Claims.

I have filed an application in Switzerland on January 16, 1934.

The present invention relates to fasteners, more particularly tofasteners for textile goods,

e made in the form of a bendable metal clamp. Bendable metal clamps forfastening thin textile articles having two limbs forming a V are known.The object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamp ofthis type, which is also itsuitable for fairly thick textile articlesand is distinguished by the fact that the fulcrum of the upper limb ofthe clamp, that is, the apex of the clamp does not lie in the plane ofthe lower limb, as in the known construction, but is 1o- 13 cated at theend of an'in'termediate member connecting the lower and the upper limbs,such intermediate member being so constructed that the fulcrum of theupper limb is located some distance above the plane of the lower limb.The

20 result of this improved construction is a better clamping of thearticle.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example three constructionsembodying the features of the invention. 7 w

25 Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the first construction, V r F Fig.2 is a front view corresponding to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the second construction, 7 v t 30Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the third construction, and

Fig. 5 is a front view correspondingto Fig. i.

In all the figures 0. designates the lower limb of the clamp and b theupper limb. These limbs 35 are of diiferent shapes, the lower limb beingsubstantially plane and the upper limb being curved. The ends of thelower limb a and the upper limb b are connected by an intermediatemember which rises in an inclined direction from the 0 lower limb at anobtuse angle so that the upper end d of the intermediate member 0 whichconstitutes the fulcrum about which the upper limb b is bent down togrip the article s placed upon the lower limb a, is located at analtitude t 45 above the plane of the lower limb.

The lower limb a is provided at its front end with a member bent upwardsat an obtuse angle. The end of the member j which is located at analtitude m above the lower limb a 50 carries a claw or lug e bentsubstantially at a right angle to the member 1 and therefore extendingin the direction of the opening left in the operative position of theclamp between the free ends of the clamp. The altitude m is less 55 thanthe altitude t.

The clamp is preferably made of aluminium and of such thickness thatwhen the upper limb b is bent down to grip the article, as shown bydotted lines'in Fig. 1, the intermediate member 0 will maintain itsposition, the upper limb I) turning upon d as a fulcrum.

The'ope'r"ation of the clamp is as follows:

A fairly thick material 8 is placed between the limbs w and b as shown,and the limb b is then bent down and at the same time somewhat 10stretched so that its forward end moves slightly to the left. In itsoperative position, the limb '1) assumes the position and shape shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the material s is somewhatcompressed and very firmly gripped between the free ends of the clamp.Owing to the fact that the fulcrum of the limb b is located at a fairlyconsiderable altitude t above the plane of the limb a, the material willbevery firmly gripped between the free ends of the clamp and there willbe no tendency for the clamped material to press the limb b upwards andopen the clamp, as was the case with the previous construction of suchclamps.

Owing to the shape of the parts e and f pulling out of the material fromthe clamp or vice versa removal of the clamp from the material, isrendered difficult. Owing to the fact that the altitude t is greaterthan the altitude m, the front part of the limb b will extend almost atright angles with regard to the member I, which improves the clampingaction. It may be pointed out that the construction shown in Fig. 1, isparticularly as regards the member's e. j, a, and c, somewhat rigid andtherefore particularly suitable for material the thickness of which doesnot Vary.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and2 only in that the clamp is made of thinner material and is thereforeless rigid. With this construction the intermediate member 0 connectingthe lower and the upper limbs, is adapted to turn about the point g' ofconnection with the lower limb a. This clamp is therefore particularlysuitable for clamping materials of varying thicknesses and the operationis as follows:-

When the clamp is closed to grip the material 5, the intermediate member0 turns about the fulcrum g and the upper limb 1) turns about the 5fulcrum d. As compared with the previous construction, the upper limb bwill be somewhat more stretched upon closing the clamp. It willtherefore be seen that the point 11 will move downwards and rearwards,as shown in Fig. 3. l

In the third construction according to Figs. 4 and 5 the clamp is againpractically rigid as re- 'gards its lower portion, as in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The parts f and 0 instead of beingstraight as in the previous constructions, are curved. The limb or isprovided with a reinforcing rib 1' extending from the end portion e tothe fulcrum d, in order to counteract any tendency of this limb frombending inwardly during the closing of the clamp.

The operation is the same as in the construction shown in Fig. 1, thatis, the upper limb b turns to eifect closing about the fulcrum d. Thisconstruction is therefore again only suitable for materials of about thesame thickness.

I claim:-

1. An inelastic V-shaped bendable clamp more particularly for textilearticles, comprising a lower limb and an upper limb and an intermediatemember connecting the lower limb and the upper limb, the point ofconnection of the intermediate member with the upper limb forming thefulcrum about which the upper limb is adapted to turn upon closing theclamp, said fulcrum being located above the plane of the lower limb,substantially as described.

2. An inelastic V-shaped vendable clamp more particularly for textilearticles, comprising a lower limb and an upper limb and an intermediatemember connecting the lower limb and the upper limb, the point ofconnection of the intermediate member with the upper limb forming thefulcrum about which the upper limb is adapted to turn upon closing theclamp, said fulcrum being located above the plane of the lower limb,said lower limb being provided at its free end with an upwardly bentportion carrying a lug, the point of connection of said lug and saidupwardly bent portion being at a lower altitude than the fulcrum of saidupper limb.

3. An inelastic bendable clamp more particularly for textile articlescomprising a lower substantially plane limb, an upper substantiallycurved limb; an intermediate member connecting the lower limb and theupper limb and extending at an obtuse angle with regard to the lowerlimb; said lower limb having at its free end a portion extending at anobtuse angle, said portion carrying upon its end a lug arrangedsubstantially at a right angle with regard to said portion, the altitudeof the fulcrum of the upper limb which is constituted by the upper endof the intermediate member, being greater than the altitude of the pointof connection of the bent front portion of the lower limb, substantiallyas described.

4. An inelastic bendable clamp more particu-' larly for textile articlescomprising in combination: a lower substantially plane limb; an uppersubstantially curved limb; an intermediate portion connecting the lowerlimb with the upper limb, the point of connection of said curvedintermediate portion constituting the fulcrum about which during closingof the clamp the upper limb turns, said plane lower limb being providedwith an upwardly curved forward extension and a lug at the end of saidforward extension, substantially, as described.

5. An inelastic bendable clamp more particularly for textile articlescomprising in combination: a lower substantially plane limb; an uppersubstantially curved limb; an intermediate portion connecting the lowerlimb with the upper limb, the point of connection of said curvedintermediate portion constituting the fulcrum about which during closingof the clamp the upper limb turns, said plane lower limb being providedwith an upwardly curved forward extension and a lug at the end of saidforward extension; said lower limb, said intermediate member connectingthe lower limb with the upper limb and said forward extension of saidlower limb being all formed with a reinforcing rib.

6. An inelastic bendable clamp more particularly for textile articles,comprising a lower substantially plane limb, an upper substantiallycurved limb; and an intermediate member connecting said lower limb andsaid upper limb, said intermediate member being adapted to turn aboutits point of connection with said lower limb and said upper limb beingadapted to turn about its point of connection with said intermediatemember, the fulcrum about which the upper limb turns during the closingof the clamp being at a substantial height above the plane of the lowerlimb, substantially as described.

7. An inelastic bendable clamp more particularly for textile articles,comprising a substantially plane lower limb, a substantially curvedupper limb; an intermediate member connecting the plane lower limb andthe curved upper limb, said intermediate member rising upwardly from therear end of the lower limb, the upper end of said intermediate memberconstituting the fulcrum of the upper limb during the closing of theclamp; said lower limb being formed with an upwardly rising forwardextension and a lug extending substantially in the direction of theopening of the clamp, substantially as described.

FRIEDRICH scHAFER.

